1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the remote diagnosis and/or remote monitoring and/or remote initialization of a door, door system or garage door system controlled by a microprocessor, operated by an electric motor and monitored by sensors, as well as to a method for operating such an apparatus.
2. Background Information
German Patent Document 42 31 803 A1 describes a diagnosis and monitoring method for a door controlled by a microprocessor, driven by an electric motor and monitored by sensors, in which a regulation and control unit equipped with a microprocessor is connected to a data communications unit by means of a serial interface. Instruments, e.g. a portable computer (laptop) or a manual terminal equipped with an appropriate serial interface, can be connected to the data communications unit.
Although this method is used in some applications, it requires a major logistical effort on the part of the service department. This requirement results on one hand from the fact that a malfunction is reported to the service department only when the function of the door or door system has been more or less severely restricted. On the other hand, the service technician assigned to the defective door or door system has to take with him every conceivable replacement part he might need, because, as a rule, it is extremely difficult to guess what the cause of the problem might be on the basis of the information provided to the service department by the customer. Only after inspecting the system on site can the service technician use the serial interface to retrieve the data from the malfunctioning system in question.
German Patent No. 38 42 467 C2 describes a service system that is used to control a machine at a remote site. For this purpose, a modem is used which transmits the program modifications to a computer in a control center via a public telephone network.
A portable (cellular) telephone that can transmit data when connected to a laptop is described in GB 2 290 007 A.
German Patent No. 42 31 816 A1 teaches that the door in question can be equipped with a telephone line that is connected to a telecommunications network. The service department is thereby able to monitor the door or door system by retrieving data by dialing the telephone connection in question. In the event of a malfunction or failure, the dispatch of the service technicians can be managed more flexibly on the basis of an evaluation of the data transmitted.
In large buildings or structures, the system of internal extensions can use a dedicated line for the polling of data from the door or door system, so that the costs are negligible in relation to the number of doors or door systems or garage doors to be monitored.
In smaller and small buildings and structures, however, the costs for connecting and maintaining a telephone connection can be disproportionately high. But because the types of doors, door systems and garage doors installed in such small structures may have the same service requirements, because their function is identical, it may not be possible, for reasons of service economy, to eliminate the capability of remote diagnosis, remote monitoring and/or remote initialization.
It has been shown that the willingness of users to have the correspondingly more expensive on-site inspection of the door system performed has decreased significantly.
The object of the present invention is therefore to make it possible to essentially guarantee qualified, economical service even on automatic doors, door systems and garage door systems in small buildings and structures that have only a small number of doors, or even only one door or garage door.
The present invention teaches that this object can be accomplished with a microprocessor control unit that can be connected indirectly or directly with a data transmission means, for the performance of a remote diagnosis and/or remote monitoring and/or initialization of the microprocessor control unit, whereby the data transmission means can be placed in effective communication with a service center.
In this manner, the conditions are created for service that does not depend on an expensive hard-wired telephone connection, thereby making it possible to maintain service on the highest level on the door and/or door systems or garage doors in question, even if the building or structure has only a single door or garage door that has to be monitored.
The object of the present invention is explained below using the example of doors, although it can naturally also be applied in an analogous manner to garage doors.
In one advantageous configuration of the present invention, the service center can be dialed directly or indirectly from the data transmission means, which increases the flexibility of operation.
In this case, it is also advantageous if a diagnostic program can be activated in the service center once the effective connection from the location of the door to the service center has been established.
The microprocessor control unit of the drive unit of the door or the doors is advantageously associated with a modem adapter that is effectively connected to the microprocessor control unit, which modem adapter is realized so that it can transmit data using a radiotelephone (cellular telephone) which can be dialed via a digital data network or via a connection that can be dialed automatically by the unit itself. Alternatively, other appropriate wireless communications units can also be used. The user can, depending on his personal preference, insert his cellular telephone into the modem adapter and dial the service number of the service center. A service computer connected to the service number will then start a diagnostic program that reads and analyzes all the parameters of the door to which it is connected. If, on the basis of the parameters transmitted, a deteriorating operating condition or decreased operational safety or reliability are detected, then, even before a defect occurs on the door in question, the door can be recorded in the service schedule of a service technician, so that the components or assemblies that require replacement can be taken from inventory, issued to the technician, and made available for the repair.
In accordance with an additional feature of the present invention, the modem adapter can have a loudspeaker to output voice traffic from the service center to the cellular telephone, whereby there can also be a microphone for the input of voice traffic via the cellular telephone to the service center. In the event of problems that cannot be unambiguously identified or solved by the diagnostic program, the service technician on the site can receive additional repair instructions to eliminate the problem from a hot-line specialist in the service center, in which case the hot-line specialist has access to the microprocessor system of the door by means of the cellular telephone connection. The service technician can then communicate verbally with the hot-line specialist by using the microphone located on the modem adapter.
It is also advantageous if the modem adapter has a keypad for the manual input of commands to the modem adapter and/or to the central station and/or to the microprocessor control unit, as a result of which the service technician can correspondingly influence the parameters of the modem, e.g. in the event of poor transmission quality, or the parameters of the microprocessor control unit.
It is advantageous if the modem adapter is associated with an image output device for the display of the data received or recorded in graphic form by the service center. Such a device makes possible a very high degree of integration of the diagnostic program, because digitized images or video sequences can be used for communication.
If the modem adapter is associated with an image recording or digital photography device for the recording of the images recorded on the door or the door system to the service central, this capability allows the hot-line specialist to form his own impression of the situation.
The apparatus in accordance with the present invention can be realized in a particularly simple manner if the microprocessor control unit has a PCMCIA slot for the insertion of a PCMCIA modem that can be connected to a cellular telephone, whereby the microprocessor control unit has a corresponding PCMCIA slot. In this manner, it becomes possible to use standardized components.
The present invention also teaches a method for the remote diagnosis and/or monitoring and/or initialization of a door or door system that is controlled by a microprocessor, operated by an electric motor and monitored by sensors. In an embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention, when service is required, a cellular telephone is connected to the microprocessor control unit, whereupon a radiotelephone or cellular connection to a service center is established and the remote diagnosis and/or monitoring and/or initialization of the microprocessor is performed via the radiotelephone connection from the service center. This process can take place, for example, in the context of the regularly scheduled rounds of the building maintenance personnel, whereby the radiotelephone connection can be initiated from the cellular telephone. As soon as the radiotelephone connection has been established, the diagnostic program is run in the service center and analyzes the parameters of the microprocessor control unit, and if there are any changes in the operating conditions or a reduction in operational reliability or safety, the door in question is assigned an order number for a service order in the service schedule of a service technician.
But if the defect detected can be eliminated by a simple measure on site, e.g. by the input of specified commands via the keypad, the diagnostic program can immediately transmit the corresponding instructions in the form of speech via the loudspeaker, or, if there is a display device, by means of corresponding sequences of images to eliminate the problem.
This method achieves a high degree of flexibility, which significantly reduces maintenance costs, even in small buildings with few doors that have to be monitored.
As a result of the targeted use of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the work to be performed by the technical personnel can be reduced. Each service, technician also knows what type of maintenance situation is waiting for him when he arrives, because another characteristic of the method is that he has been informed in advance of the content of the respective service order and issued the parts that have to be replaced. And even if there are surprises, he can easily access assistance by the hot-line specialists in the service center.
The above discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figures. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventions,xe2x80x9d that is, the plural of xe2x80x9cinvention.xe2x80x9d By stating xe2x80x9cinvention,xe2x80x9d the Applicants do not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintains that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. The Applicants hereby assert that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.